A trio of former Rasta Grill employees opened Grad School in 2008. / Jess Heugel/For the News-Leader

Grad School is small but popular, so diners should be prepared for a short wait. / Jess Heugel/For the News-Leader

Gina Branch recently moved back to Springfield from Columbia and found that one of her favorite restaurants, the Rasta Grill, was gone. But when she heard that Grad School had some of the same flavors and was owned by some of Rasta’s employees, she had to check it out. It quickly became a favorite.

Gina's Take

Gina’s tried several of the items on Grad School’s menu, and she loves them all. She and her husband enjoy coming to Grad School without the kids and enjoying a casual, but still delicious, meal with a beer. Drinking a beer at Grad School “seems fun,” Gina says, because she gets to drink a PBR right out of the can. No fancy airs at Grad School.

When it’s warm outside, Gina enjoys sitting out on the back deck. The downtown ambience and casual feel make any meal great.

We start our meal with the Ali Baba hummus appetizer ($4), which consists of a large serving of hummus, pita bread and pita chips. It’s a large enough serving that Gina says everyone at the table can have ample amounts of the flavorful dip. “It’s simple, but it’s good,” she says. The soft, warm pita bread is amazing, too.

Gina’s not a vegetarian, but she loves the Codi Brah veggie burger ($7) at Grad School. At most restaurants, she knows the veggie burger comes from a freezer and contains some kind of soy filler. Grad School’s version comes right off the grill. After several more bites, Gina says, “I really need to come here more often.”

The burger comes with a huge serving of fries. “They give you a ton,” she says. “They’re great.” Gina says they taste homemade.

Katie's Take

When I’m eating downtown, Grad School is a natural choice. It pretty much sums up the feel of downtown Springfield for me: small, but perfect in every way. When I tell others to check out Grad School, many people have no idea what I’m talking about. Unless you’re a downtown rat, it’s likely you’ve never been to — or even heard of — Grad School. That probably should change.

The restaurant’s always bustling around noon, and because it’s so small, there’s often a short wait. The servers are so incredibly laid-back, though, that it’s impossible to get mad at anyone. Plus, you know the food’s coming right off the grill and will taste amazing, so the wait is worth it.

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By far, the dish that most people rave about at Grad School is the Full Ride burger, which is a double bacon burger with soft cheese inside. Nearly every online review says to get the Full Ride. I’ve also enjoyed several of their entrees, including the Fit Chic, Steak Sandwich and the Long Beach fish tacos.

I agree with Gina that eating on the deck when it’s warm makes the experience even better. And, yes, having a canned beer makes me feel like I’m grilling outside at my house with friends — only with much better food.

The real hit of the Ali Baba is the soft pita bread. It tastes as if it came off the grill. But then I taste the pita chips, and those are great, too. I enjoy hummus, and Grad School’s has a smoky flavor and smooth texture. For hummus people, this is the way to go.

Today, I decide to try a new dish, the Spinach Salad ($7), which consists of spinach, red onion, tomatoes, roasted red pepper and feta, tossed in Greek dressing.

The presentation impresses me, and the juxtaposition of sleek, contemporary square plates with Grad School’s laid-back, stickers-plastered-everywhere atmosphere is an interesting one. The clean presentation highlights the restaurant’s attention to detail. For instance, the pita chips with the Ali Baba come sprinkled with fresh herbs.

My salad is huge; I’m not sure how I can eat it all. I added falafel ($3) to up the protein ante. The falafel has great flavor. It’s obviously just come off the grill, and it looks pretty similar to Gina’s veggie burger.

The crunch of the red onions goes well with the soft, sweet roasted red peppers, and the salad has more than enough feta cheese to keep me happy. I also enjoy the tangy Greek dressing.

The Dish, the Restaurant

Josh Nail, Shane Rice and Danny Schlink opened Grad School in 2008. The trio worked at the Rasta Grill together, and opening their own place gave them a chance to do things the way they wanted to. “It just kinda happened,” Nail says. Now, the restaurant has more than its share of accolades — including Best Burger from 417 Magazine — and on most days the house is packed, especially around lunchtime.

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Nail chalks it up to providing a comfortable place to eat and plain hard work. Most of the crew works 12- to 13-hour days, and they make the food from scratch. “I feel like we take a little extra time and buy a little better quality of product. You definitely can’t beat that,” Nail says.

Example? The flatbread that makes the hummus worth the buy is made in house, Nail says. “You can’t beat the bread,” he says. It’s a pressed French bread. In addition, the crew makes the hummus, and Nail says Grad School’s is more smooth and flavorful than most places. “I think we do good with the play of ingredients that we use,” he says.

The Codi Brah patty is also made in house with a blend of falafel, minced and sautéed onions, mushrooms, red curry, some other spices and a bit of tofu. Nail says the consistency works, and customers don’t have to worry about the burger falling apart. “People like it,” he says. “It’s something a bit different, but nothing crazy.”

The fries are hand-cut in house and fried twice — once to cook them through and another time to make them crispy on the outside.

For my salad, the dressing is also made in house, and the ample amount of toppings? Nail says they do that because they want to provide customers the same amount of food and quality that they look for when they visit restaurants.

Grad School is Springfield’s small mystery. Most people don’t know about it, but once you discover it, you’ll be back.

Our Guest: Gina Branch

Age: 26

Occupation: stay-at-home-mom and student

Dish nominated: The Codi Brah

Quote: “I was so excited to find a veggie burger that they actually make.”